Sinclair Community College’s Board of Trustees approved a motion on Nov. 10, 2009 to request a special fee adjustment that, if approved, would increase student fees. The motion states the adjustment is intended to improve Sinclair’s long-term financial health.
“Our enrollment continues to go up while state subsidy has either been flat or has gone down. At some point those lines cross, so what we’re getting is less state funding per student,” said Sinclair Chief of Staff Madeline Iseli.
In addition to decreased state funding, in recent years Sinclair has lost levy revenue without opportunity to recuperate the costs through tuition increases, according to Director of College Relations Natasha Baker.
“We’re a levy supported college, but those dollars are going down also. There are not as many people in Montgomery County as there used to be 10 or 15 years ago,” Baker said. “Where we could have raised tuition a little bit to help offset some of the loss of the levy and the loss of the state, we’ve had (tuition) caps and couldn’t do so.”
The proposed adjustments would increase the general fee by up to $6 per credit hour for all students and the out-of-state surcharge fee by up to $6 per credit hour. The present general fee, $3.50, has not increased since 1985, according to Iseli. She said the lack of increases has been an intentional part of the board’s commitment to keeping Sinclair’s tuition low.
“The Board is committed to maintaining affordability and is very sensitive to the role affordability plays in the number of people who can go to college,” Iseli said.
The fee adjustments will be requested as an “exceptional circumstance” allowed under the most recent state budget bill. The Chancellor of the Board of Regents must approve the modification of fee levels before State of Ohio Controlling Board can grant the request.
Iseli confirmed that if Sinclair’s financial situation doesn’t improve, President Steven Johnson might have to decide whether to limit the number of students who can enroll at the school.
“People who run community colleges, like Dr. Johnson, choose to do that because they really believe in (the) community college mission,” Iseli said. “My experience is that they work in community colleges because they believe in accessible education, and having to shut doors or cap enrollments is absolutely the last thing that any community college person wants to do.”
Even if the maximum fee adjustment were approved and implemented, both Iseli and Baker said Sinclair’s tuition would continue to be the lowest in the state for Montgomery County residents.
“The board has always been committed to retaining the highest affordability, and we do that by having the lowest tuition,” Iseli said.
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